In August of 2005, I was living in the sauna house while my ex-girlfriend and our daughter lived in the main house. On August 29th, my ex came to the sauna house to ask for a cigarette. As she left, she turned to me and said “Good-bye”. It struck me as odd. Good-bye? Not “good night”? I lay down on the bed to think about it. That’s when I smelled the smoke. Rushing to the door of the sauna house, I found it locked. I ran to the window, smashed it open and forced myself out. I suffered from minor burns and had a long cut down my arm. I managed to drag myself to the neighbours, trailing blood and asking that they check the house for fear the fire might have spread to the house and harmed my daughter.

Despite the fact that the fire was set intentionally, my ex managed a plea bargain and received a conditional sentence of two years less a day, with no jail time what-so-ever.

Now I am struggling to have custody of my daughter and I'm facing what seems like insurmountable resistance from the Children’s Aid Society of Ontario.

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